Coaching Clinic 30

Welcome to our first coaching clinic blog of 2014. Have you resolved to play better darts?

Resolve to play Better Darts

It’s January! The time of year when we resolve to do this and that to improve various aspects of our life! We have some ideas for you to try to improve the state of your darting health. They are all small changes that you can make that will accumulate into you playing to a higher level-you just need to mix in some patience and commitment and you will be playing better darts in 2014!

Practice Time

The first thing to do is to commit to some practice. Your pub, super league and County matches are of course great “practice” but not ideal for trying new things. You have to commit to some regular practice time.

The easiest way to work out when you can practise is to list the seven days of the week along with 24 hours of the day and see what you have left. Scott Rand used to practise at work during breaks on a board propped up on a filing cabinet! So, be imaginative and even if it is only 20 minutes here and there, grab it for practice!

Horses for Courses

If you only have 20 minutes, plan your games accordingly. A game of round the clock singles or doubles, how far can you get in 20 minutes? If you have longer take the time to plan a session that covers all aspects of the game, power scoring, finishing and counting down to a double!

Have you got a practice partner? You don’t have to bang away at games of 501. Put some pressure on each other and play some 101, 151 and 201 games. It’s great for your counting skills and finishing.

Sports Science

Learn one thing that could help you. Look up a breathing exercise to keep you calm or read up on how taking some key words on the oche, such as ‘focus’, ‘concentrate’, ‘red’, ‘green’ can help keep your mind on track. Self Talk is what you need to look up (or just join the Darts Performance Centre )

Get Your Kit Right

Have a little experiment with your flights and stems. There are packs available but you could just have a swap with your team mates and use their different shaped flights and stem lengths just so you can witness the difference it can make to your throw. Would you benefit from your dart lying flat in the bed? You can make this happen but you need to experiment.

Also, if possible practise in your darts kit and in particular the shoes you wear for matches. Small changes in your heel height can make a difference to your accuracy. Different types of shoes can also affect your posture on the oche which in turn can have an impact on your throw.

These are all small changes that can easily be added to your current practice regime and can help you play better darts.

TheDarts Performance Centreis a resource to assist dart players of all standards play better darts. The site is arranged as an online coaching manual. There is advice on technique, nerves, psychology, goal setting, practice games, an area to log your statistics and an interactive area where your darting questions are answered by two sports scientists, one with 30 years dart playing experience. You also get an invite to our free but exclusive members only events and acess to our members only darts coaching app! Membership is £25 per year!